“Money.Power.Politics” (ARD): snapshot of political lobbyism

How big is the influence that lobbyists have in Berlin politics? The ARD documentary “Money.Power.Politics” takes on the topic on Monday evening.

Berlin – The ARD documentary takes a critical look at the enormous influence that lobbyists in Berlin’s political scene have on citizens’ representatives. Unfortunately, it has to be said that in many countries journalists are threatened, taken from airplanes, imprisoned or sometimes even shot for such research and documentation. Even with us, you are not always treated courteously, but you can do your work relatively undisturbed.

Among other things, democracy works like this: important economic, social and ecological interests must be represented in political decisions, otherwise there will be too much botch. Decisions are, it is said, initiated and made by elected representatives of political parties, and the path to decision-making and enforcement is long and paved with arguments and counter-arguments.

ARD documentary “Money.Power.Politics”: It’s about political failure and corruption

If that were the case, decision-making processes could be absolutely transparent, there would be no reason for secrecy. But there are always interest groups who prefer the botch because it benefits them and who have power.
Even for our democratically constituted country, there would be an impressive list of botch done from behind for the current legislative period alone.

It is about policy failure and corruption on a small, medium and large scale. Political failure and corruption are not the same thing, but they share a common intersection.

ARD documentary “Money.Power.Politics”: MPs, lobbyists and activists report

Julia Lehmann and Tobias Seeger from Saarländischer Rundfunk are following some traces in Berlin that lead to this intersection and right into it. They don’t jealous, they don’t denounce, they don’t complain of blatant injustices. You simply speak to various actors for the ARD documentary.

For example with representatives from Transparency International, Lobby Control, Foodwatch; with a charming, thoroughbred lobbyist with an Austrian dialect color and a clear conscience; with a parliamentarian who works against the seemingly inevitable influence of lobbyists. Also with Philipp Amthor, the CDU member with the belated confirmation charm and the attempted taking advantage.

Unfortunately not with Julia Klöckner or Andreas Scheuer. They probably didn’t have the time, but they had a lot to say about lobbying. Julia Klöckner’s calendar shows that she spends so much time with representatives from the food industry and agriculture that she cannot be interested in environmental associations or an association like Foodwatch. And certainly not for journalists from Saarländischer Rundfunk, you have to set priorities.

ARD documentary “Money.Power.Politics”: Examples from the auto industry and lignite

Nevertheless, one learns an example of why it was so complicated to reduce the amount of sugar in industrially manufactured foods and beverages for children. You learn less about the auto industry and its impact on Scheuer’s ministry, but you can think your part. It will have been similar with the case of lignite: lobbyists in the ministries explain the problems they see with certain legislative proposals, and the ministries arrange their actions accordingly.

There are also more direct ways. For example, you can deduct commissions directly for brokering purchases for the Ministry of Health. It is strange that such things only seem to occur with MPs from the Union parties.

ARD documentary “Money.Power.Politics”: Well-known stories are summarized again

Julia Lehmann and Tobias Seeger don’t open the really big barrel, but they show who is sitting on the lid. They handle the material skilfully and are not guilty of any one-sidedness. Sometimes it is enough to summarize well-known stories again.

For example, the issue of the tightened rules on secondary employment for members of parliament. The smiling objectivity with which this film is made makes it a model of enlightening political journalism.
But Orban or Janša would not like to see something like that at all. And Maassen would certainly have serious reservations about this kind of journalism. Is it campaigning for the federal elections, isn’t it? (Hans-Jürgen Linke)

There is this article related to the topic: Scholz escalates rent dispute with the CDU: “Lobby has my coalition partner firmly under control”.